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Sky Captain
Metal Whisperer
Reged: 11/07/04
Posts: 7195
Loc: Issaquah, WA.
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Just saw this deal at Telescopes.com listing four 2" filters at only $149. Thats only $37.25 each!
2" - UHC
2" - O-III
2" - Sky Glow
2" - Variable Polarizer
Here is the link.
Looks as though they are back ordered, but if your starting out and don't have anything this may be a great way to get started.
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Equipment Overload!
Kerry
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hfjacinto
Almost got me
Reged: 01/12/09
Posts: 2096
Loc: Union,NJ
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I was almost tempted and several people have them but the sky glow wasn't that great and I already have the variable polarizer. If I didn't the deal was excellent.
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C9.25 ASGT 9*50 MM Finder,FT Focuser & 2" Diagonal
Meade LXD 75 6 Inch SNT w 9*50 MM Finder
5,6,9,14.5 MM Zhummel Planetary EPs
13,17,21,24,31,36 MM Baader Hyperion
6.7,8.8 MM Meade UWA & 11 MM Nagler T6
Planetary, OIII and Narrowband Filters
Thousand Oaks Dew Control w Kendrick Heaters
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Sky Captain
Metal Whisperer
Reged: 11/07/04
Posts: 7195
Loc: Issaquah, WA.
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Sometimes there can be a catch. Of course I need a variable polarizer in 2".
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Equipment Overload!
Kerry
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gnowellsct
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/24/09
Posts: 733
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Quote:
Sometimes there can be a catch. Of course I need a variable polarizer in 2".
I've had a variable polarizer for ten years and continually ask myself why: I never use it. It has no point on any of the planets and is basically a moon filter. But on those occasions when I view the moon, I don't use it. If my eye is too zonked by the moon, I boost the magnification. And the Neodymium filter, which is great on Jupiter, cuts the moon a tad without changing the image.
So I'm not sure why we "need" a variable polarizer. I remember it sounded like a real great idea when I was starting out....
Greg N
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"Aperture will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no aperture."
featuring selected astrojunk:
bunch o' widefield eyepieces
bunch o' narrowfield eyepieces
couple o' Barlows
couple o' scopes
couple o' mounts
couple o' tripods
and a pier 'n' stuff
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FirstSight
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 3903
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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The variable polarizer can be very useful on near-full moon nights when you'd rather not be snowblind in one eye for a half-hour, but want to be able to control the amount of darkening according to focal-length. Like possibly tonight.
I prefer Orion's 2" version of the VPF to their 1.25" version, since the two polarizing halves of the 2" are permanently preassembled together, the 1.25" halves are not. Normally, in many people's sets, the 2" would have restricted usefulness since more often than not, they'd be using magnifications (and focal-lengths) where EPs are in true 1.25" format, including hybridized 2"-1.25" designs, where the lower end of the neck (and filter threads) are always native 1.25", absent the addition of some sort of threaded 2" barrel extension. Which is precisely what I've done with all four of my dual-format Ethos EPs, so they now take 2" filters, so...works for me.
But many's the night with less than a full moon when I go naked-eye, no VPF on the moon, and tolerate merely five minutes of snow blindness in one eye as the result.
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Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
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Lane
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/19/07
Posts: 1515
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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I wonder about the quality at this price.
I can't look at the moon without my orion variable polarizer. Too many of the subtle features are blown away by all the light. I actually took my filter apart and put one half on the end of the diagonal and the other on the eyepiece. I also have a single 1.25 GSO polarized lens for my smaller 1.25 eyepieces. Having them split up like that means I can just put the eyepiece into the diagonal and rotate it to get the right about of light transmission.
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Mounts: CGEM, ORION SIRIUS, AT Voyager/motorized
SCTs: C6, C8, C9.25, C11,
Refractors: TV Pronto, Orion ED80
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KerryR
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 1172
Loc: SW Michigan
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I was alomst going to order but reading the reviews on the website disuaded me from buying: The Skyglow didn't do much at all, the OIII had only 70% transmission.
Varible polarizers need to use really flat glass if one is on the front of the diagonal while the other is on the ep, or it'll degrade the image, and I've found that lower quality polarizers creat 'spikes' on planets, reducing visible detail when they're used to dim a bright planetary image (great for reducing CA in large refractors). While none of the reviews discussed the quality of the polarizer, I'd be inclined to worry about the flatness of the glass and quality of the grating at this price point.
While you probably can't do better FOR THE PRICE, I think one would be better off getting just one high quality OIII or UHC filter...
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Kerry
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